Beet-harvester.



B.-S. RAMSEY.

BEBT HARVESTER. Aruonlox Hmm nu 1, 1912.,

Patented' 00u14, 1913 6 anims-ann 1? een E. S. RAMSBY.

BERT HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1912.

:ummlnlllmms ulllllllllllllmv E. S. RAMSEY.

BERT HARVESTER. APPLIGATION ULEB nu 1, 1912.

5 0^ O l 1 l..

E. S. RAMSI-IY.

BERT HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED M1111, 1912.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I S11/mmm ESRar/zsety:

E. S. RAMSBY.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1912.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 E. S. m s ey.

EDWARD S. BAMSEY, OF CHANCE, MONTANA.

BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification of letters Patent.

ratenteaoct. 14,1913;

Application med May 1, 191,2'. serial No. 694,357.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD S. RAMSEY, a

citizen of the' United States, residing at Chance, in the county of Carbon, State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful" Improvements in Beet- Hari/esters; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in harvesters and more particularly to that class adapted to be used for the purpose of harvesting beets or vegetables of like nature. i

An object of this invention is the provision of a harvester for beets or the like which is of such construction that it will re move the beets from the earth, severing the tops from the beets and convey the 'beets into a' suitable receptacle.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a beet harvester having a pair of novelly constructed plow shares adjustable thereon for the purpose of removing the beets from the ground and a plurality of endless convevers engaging said shares for the purpose of conveying the beets'to a suitable knife which is adapted to sever the tops therefrom allowing said beets to fall into an elevator by the means of which the beets will be transportedE to a suitable ren ceptacle.

A further object of this invention is to produce a beet harvesting machine which employs the use of two pairs of endless con veyers arranged in angular relation with respect to each other, the saidconveyers adapted to hold the beets in such position that the tops may be very readily severed therefrom by thev use of a suitable knife operated by the movement of the machine.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a beet harvester which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view this invention resides in ,the novel features of construction, formations, combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my vimproved beetharvester. Fig. 2 is a topvplan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation;` Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken' on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in top plan and partly in section, of the rear portion of the machine showing the topping knife, the elevator and cleaning brushes, and

driving gearing therefor'. Fig. 7 is an en# larged fragmentary side elevation vof the rear end of my improved harvester. Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of one of the plow shares.

Referring to the accompanying drawings throughout the several views by similar characters of reference, the numeral 10 designates generally my improved harvester which comprises a substantially triangula'r L` horizontally disposed frame 11, consisting of forwardly converging side beams 12 connected at their forward ends by a cross bar 13 and provided at their rear extremities with depending journal boxes 14 which sup-y port rotatably therein the opposite ends of a rear axle 16, to .the terminals of which are"A keyed traction wheels 17 arranged upon the outsideof the side bars 12 of the frame 11.

The cross beam 13 is centrally apertured as indicated by the numeral 18 for the recep` tion of a vertically extending king bolt 19, to the lower end of which is fixed a front truck 20 comprising a U-shaped Supporting member 21 having journaled in its depend#4 ing ends an axle 22 to the terminals of which ,are rotatably secured the front or guide wheels 23.

The king bolt 19 is held against displace-I ment by suitable locking nuts 24, while the upper' end thereof has keyed thereto a bev-v eled pinion 25 which meshes with a similar pinion 26 carried bythe forward end of -a steering rod 27 journaled in suitable bear'- ings 28 carried by the frame 11 and provided upon its opposite end with a steering wheel 29 located within the convenient reach of the operator who may sit upon the seat 30 mounted upon a spring standard 31 secured to a cross beam 32 fastened at its opposite ends to the converging side members 12. The f front truck. 20 has pivotally mounted at its medial point as at 33 a plowv beam 34, to the rear end of which is secured a spring supporting member 35 provided with a reduced intermediate portion 36 surrounding the end of the beam 34 and held against displacement by a locking bolt 37. The ends of the member 35 have the plow shares 36 removably connected therewith,

these shares being flared outwardly as indicated by the numeral 38 and terminating in downwardly curved points 39 adapted to enter the ground upon each side ofthe rows of beets, obviously digging the same from the ground and causing them to be forcedv upon the'upper faces of the said shares 36. The innerredges of these shares 36 are bent upon themselves as at 40 to produce rounded edges which prevent cutting or injury to the beets.

e An inverted UY-shaped supporting member 41 connects the intermediate portions of the side members 12 and supports thereon a toothed segment 42, to the central portion of which is pivoted an operating lever 43. This` lever is held against displacement b a lock'- ing dog 44 which engages the teet of the segment 42 and may be thrown into and' out of engagement therefrom by a hand lever 45 pivoted to the up er end of the said lever 43 and connecte tothe pawl or dog 44 by .means of a link 46. The lower terminal of thisA lever 43 is provided with a forwardly extending arm 47 connected at kits terminal to the beam 34 by means of a link 48.

Obviously upon the proper manipulation of the lever 43 the low beam 34 will be raised i or lowered, there y changing the elevation of the shares 36 with respect to the ground. A

swinging frame '49, lcomprising a pair of spaced parallel side rods 50 formed of hinged sections which terminate at their upper ends i'n the transverse extensions 51 and provided at their lower ends with eyes 52 50 loosely surrounding the axle 16, is secured to the intermediate portion of the said axle and is providedwith suitable bearings 53 and 54 at its u` per, and lower ends, respectively lin which earings are rotatably journale 55 vertically extending parallel shafts 55 and 56. The shaft 56 is rovided adjacent its lower end with a bevel) with a beveled pinion 58 keyed to the axle 16, thereby providin a means whereby the shafts 55 and 56 wil be rotated upon the ed pinion 57 meshinghas keyed thereon a gear wheel 59 enga ng teeth of a pinion 60 carried by the slaft 55 for the purpose of transmitting motion to the said shaft 55 and causing the same to rotate in a direction opposite to that of the shaft 56. The lower end of the side members 50 of the swinging frame 49 has extending therefrom substantially horizontally disposed rods 61 the free terminals of which are bent upwardly as atv62 and then back upon themselves as at 63 to form bearings 64 for the reception of supporting bolts 65 upon which are rotatably held rollers 66. The lower ends of the shafts 55 and 56 have keyed thereon abovethe axle 16 pulleys or ro 1ers 67 and 68 over which and over the rollers 66 are extended endless conveyer belts 69. The upper ends of the sides 50 of the frame 49 have extending therefrom downwardly slanting rods 70, the terminals of which are offset laterally as at 7l and then bent downwardly as at 72 from which oints they are extended inwardly as at 3 terminating in bearings 74 in which bearings and in bearings formed at the juncture of the rods and the lateral extension 71 are journaled supporting bolts 75 u on which are rotatably located rollers or pul eys 76. Endless conveyer belts 77 pass around the pulleys 76 and around pulleys 78, which latter are carried by the extension shafts 79. These extension shafts 79 each have a swivel connection 80 with the upper end of the adjacent one of the shafts 55-56, and the upperends of these extension shafts are journaled in the bearings 53 of the lateral end portions 51 of the side rods of the frame 49. The free ends of the rods 70 are connected by a suitable bar 81 provided with an eye 82 for engagement with a connecting link v83 which unites the said eye 82 with the oil'- set arm 84 of a vertically extending operating lever .85 fulcrumed as indicated by the numeral 86 to a toothed segment 87 carried by the before mentioned supporting cross bar 41. This lever is held in rigid engage` inent with the segment by means of a locking pawl 88 operated in an identical manner to the before mentioned pawl 44K l' Obviously upon the proper manipulation of the lever the bars 70 will be tilted to any desired angle which will assist""i'n causing the conveyer belts 77 to engage the beet tops. A pair of guide rods 89 are secured to the shares 36 and extend between the belts 77 and the depending portions 72 of the rods 70 serving to engage the tops of the beets as they are being removed from the ground and guide the tops between the belts 77. l

tn plate 90 is secured at one end thereof, as indicated by 91 to the shaft 56, the said plate being provided with suitable slots 92, through which work the pinion 95, gear 96 Levntate and cutter blade 98, hereinafter mentioned. A shaft 93 is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 9i formed upon said plate il() i and has keyed to its upper end a pinion 95 I .which meshes with a gear wheel 96 keyed to the shaft G for the purpose of causing the f,

upon the rotation of the shaft Jil to sever l i the beet tops from the boete as they are drawn between the belts 69e The plate 90 in this operation serves to prevent any lateral swinging of the beets Wliih might serre to cause their displacement as the knit blades 98 are rotated. The tops ot the he will be carrie-l by the belts` tit) to the rear in the maehineand. dropped in the ground while. the beets are permitted to tall an endless elevator 99 which corr-ists` wardly converging guide plates ltltlL liietween whirli is mounted a conveyer chain i snpY 1 ported at its opposite ends by' suitable sprockets l0?. and 103, the latttr et which receives a rotary movement :trom its a itl-l which is geared aS indicated by the numeral iOS to the axle lt of the machine.

The guide plates l0() have journale-l upon their upper traces adjacent the lower cnil,-` thereot' parallel shafts lOt which keyed to their upper terniiinils. eli-an. lirushie` ltl for engagement with the boete :is they ariV4 moved upwardlyv alone the noir veter. thereby brushing any dirt, or the like from the saine. The lower ends ot the Shafts 106 have keyed thereto beveled pinions lOS meshingr with beveled pinions 10) l g itt-oeuil; they belli,y tor severing,r the beettops l f tired to the shait. 101i in any suitable inannei whiih will cause their rotation upon the t rotation of the said shaft or axle.

It will be apparent from an inspection ot tlu` d awiiigs that the conveyer bells tend between the inner sides ot the con-- wyer beltsl 'TT and manifestly as the inai'hino is propelled along the ground b v an;7 suitable power the beets will bc belts TL which belts engage the tops of the beets and cause them to be moved' rearwardly and upwardly into engagement with the ronvever belts 69. The. tops ot' the beet:

are still lil-ld between the conveyi-r belts TT which tgthvioiisly forces` the upper endf ot the teeth; into nailart with the lower in nl thi, belts Gt). l'in'tln-i' upward movement ol the which are then eonveyed in the path ot thi' rotatiiigiA knife bladesI JS which sever ihr, toi-s oi` the beets from the bodies throot permitting said tops to pai-s through Sie neit-1 removed 1 from the ground by means ot the shares Ilo and guided in the direetion of the converer i This. migrant-nient prevents any 1 lieet- "the t ng dis-heures illustrate one rinhodinient oi" my invention, butl it is to be nood that. minor variations in the dei undo l tadet rozisiruttion n'iay be resorted to milioni dnparing.; 'trom or sacrificing any i vit' tiaadminiagi-ff o t the invention.

the foregoing disclosures taken in in with the accompanying 'draw- ,d ha manifest that a beet harvest- Vne is provided for which will fillkrle neeesaary requirements of the llaiingf thus particularly deseribedfthis Enwniioni what l claim as new and desire in notaio by Letters Patent, is:

.n :i been harvesting machine, the comt. .t vih a traine, a driven axle supimiter! 'in the traine, plow members, a frame sicure-'l to the driven axle, conveyer belts wippnrted in the last mentioned frame, insane connecting the eonveyer belts with iinx axle for rotating such belts, guides eX- irnding; between the forivai'i'i end of @ne m' thtl conreiei lie-lts and the plow members, and :i einer totfatco adjacent the other con .r heli for severing the beet tops.

ln a ltr-et harvesting machine, the coin- I ion will a traine including a Wheeled 'no frame carried by the ioiirnaled in the swingt traine. nntii i with the aah', a plurality of conveyer hhs mounted in thi,l swinging frame and i operated by the shafts, one of said belts i no; hunted below the other and at an angle and a heet topping knife located :i in a t harvester, the. combination 5 with a traine, a wheeled axle for the frame., -i pion; heet guides carried by the plow, a singing traine carried by the axle,` coni vereilwlts mounted upon the swinging traite and rotatably connected to said axle, une pmi of said belts being arranged at an :ingle to the other pair 0f belts, i), Cutter l0- rai-d tnlirfufent one pair of the belts for severing? tde beet'y tops and permitting the rei ot' the beets from the belts. l, la a beet harvester the combination i ot :t trinite, a plow carried thereby, a swingi ifi-:Jaan pars of conveyor belts carried l A w nig traino, one of said pairs of livin twine ai i :wie at an angle to the other pair. n hert-lj, the beets lifted by one pair of la its will he transferred to the other pair et infin, and means rotatably connecting the ith the axle.

a bout harvester, the combination itil si.' tix i atably connecting theo with a frame, of a pair of plows therefor, veyer and an elevator for receiving the re- 10 guides carried by the plows, an inclined leased beets. belt conveyer for receivmg the beets from In testimony whereof, I aHiX my signalghe guide, asecond belt conveyer arranged ture, in presence of two witnesses.

5 eneath t e rst 'mentioned conveyer and at y an angle thereto, means for driving the con- LDWARD S' RAMSEY veyer belts, a beetvtop cutter ad]acent the WY'tnesses: lower conveyer and adapted to sever the FRANK GoLnsMITH, beet tops and release the beets from the con- C. D. BERRY. 

